"The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold--the strongest iPad launch yet." ó Philip Schiller, Apple's Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing.

Consumers purchased three million devices priced at a minimum of $499 over the deviceís opening weekend. Thatís $1.5 billion in sales on the lowest end. The iPad 2 sold one million units during itís first weekend.

I canít imagine why Tim Cook didnít announce these number during the company's financial conference call earlier this morning. Perhaps Apple was trying to confirm the numbers or give traders something to latch onto tomorrow and drive the company's stock further past the $600 mark.

Once again news outlets get to recycle the same storyline Apple and pundits wrote last October. The storyline goes something like this: incremental upgrade, mild praise with very vocal opposition, followed by the utter decimation of previous sales records.

Nothing to top a day off like breaking previous sales of the iPad and iPad 2 during launch weekend by factors of 10 and 3 on top of finishing above the $600 per share mark with momentum going into the rest of the week.

Not many companies can pull this crap off. Wake me up when Appleís losing streak starts.

Those numbers are incredible! I wonder how the next iPad will compare!

Numbers are awesome but I'm wondering what the return rate is/will be. I'm still sitting on mine un-opened trying to make up my mind and the "I returned my iPad" threads are popping up. Still impressive no matter what the return number is.

Not exactly fair to compare the new iPad sales to the iPad 2 sales because the iPad 2 was plagued by supply constraints that did not seem to effect this new iPad....most likely because it has the same basic design.

I agree Rico. There certainly seem to be more around this time than last year. I couldn't find a single iPad anywhere for weeks after release last year but I've found a few this year.. although not the one I'm looking for yet.

Not exactly fair to compare the new iPad sales to the iPad 2 sales because the iPad 2 was plagued by supply constraints that did not seem to effect this new iPad....most likely because it has the same basic design.

Technologically, the iPad 3 has tougher supply constraints. The iPad 2's constraints were all generated based on undercutting sales forecasts for production deadlines. As much as I hate to admit it, It's kind of an Apple trademark.

Numbers are awesome but I'm wondering what the return rate is/will be. I'm still sitting on mine un-opened trying to make up my mind and the "I returned my iPad" threads are popping up. Still impressive no matter what the return number is.

Numbers are awesome but I'm wondering what the return rate is/will be. I'm still sitting on mine un-opened trying to make up my mind and the "I returned my iPad" threads are popping up. Still impressive no matter what the return number is.

Great point, I bought 2 and returned one after noticing no shortages this time around.